Collapsible shopping cart



March 20, 1956 J. KoRcHAN 2,733,984

COLLAPSIBLE SHOPPING CART Filed April 9, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 1 JOSEPH KORCHAN March 20, 1956 KORCHAN 2,738,984

COLLAPSIBLE SHOPPING CART Filed April 9, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH KORCHAN Op, hf. f-f, o Mme/mf United States Patent O 2,738,984 coLLAPsnsLE SHOPPING CART Joseph Korchan, New YorlnN. Y., assgnor to Paul Korchan, New York, N. Y.

Application Api-il 9, 1952, serial No. 281,390 l 4 claims. (c1. 28o- 36) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a collapsible shopping cart.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved collapsible shopping cart which can be opened or closed with one hand merely by pulling or pushing the cart handle up or down so that articles in the other hand of a shopper can immediately be put into the cart Without the necessity of the shopper rst putting these bundles down, opening the cart, and then picking them up and putting them in. l Another object of the invention proposes forming the shopping cart with a foot rest member at the rear of the cart to make operation of the handle easier and to steady the cart further when it isr open and resting upright.

Still further, the present invention proposes pivotally connecting the foot rest at the rear of the cart so that it may be folded up against the back section of the cart when not in use.

As` a further object, the present invention proposes arranging the cart handle and slidably connecting it withA the back sectionso thatr it may easily lift the bottom of the shopping cart and fold it up against the backy section of the cart. y

For furtherv comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description andaccompanying drawings, and. tov the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly setforth.. Inv the accompanying drawings forming amaterial part of vthis disclosure:

Fig. 1 is-a perspective view illustrating the collapsible shopping cart of the present invention.'

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the cart as shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. .Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig.r2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the bottom section in'open position and showing `in dotdash lines the initial movementof the bottom member by the handle to collapse the cart.

Fig. 6 is aviewsimilar to Fig. 5y showing a further stage in the collapsing process. l v Y y Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a detail of construction at the lower end of the handle. l

v Fig. 8 is similar viewgshrowing the foldable foot res secred in its inoperative position. Y

t Referring more particularly to ythe drawings, the collapsible shopping cart 10 shown in the several iigures is generally comprised of six wire frames or sections, 11 through 16, inclusive, hinged together and a wire bottom frame or section 17.

The back section 11 is in the shape of an inverted U having lengthwise Wires 18 and cross-wise ones 19 welded together. The lower end of the back section is welded to an axle 20 on the ends of which wheels 21 and 22 are rotatably held.

Side sections 12 and 13 in the shape of an inverted block letter C and having lengthwise wires 23 and cross- 'ice wise vwires 24 welded together are hinged at1their rear v edges to the side edges 2S yand 26 of; the back section 1411.y As showninr the drawings, this maybe done by simply bending the adjacent free ends of the wires of therside" section around the side edgefwires 25and26 of the .back

sectionll.y y i Similar shaped front subsections 14" and 15having lengthwise wires 27 and crosswise wires 28 Welded to'- gether are hinged at their rear edges to the side sections 12 `andllv, the free ends ofthe ,front sub-section wires adjacent the forward side edges of the side sections being bent or hooked around'thesefforward sidev edges. 1

,Front center section 16 having lengthwise wires 29 welded vto cross wires 30 is hinged to the forward side tionV are in their fully opened position as best shown in Fig. 3 and lengthwise wires 17', Thefree ends of the wires 17 are bent around the axle Zitto hinge the bottom section v17 at itsrear end to the axle. Cross bars33 are Weldedto the wiresl'iandthe outer edge wirew32 in the bottoml section. A closed-rectangular shaped, wire. member` 34 is welded to the c ross bars 33 across their center portions and the front end of this member 34 ex# tends beyond andencirclesthe lengthwise wires 29 of the front center4 section 16. The front end of member 34 is also downwardly bent, as at 35, and slidably;se cures thefbottom section 17 to the front center section 16'.

The rear end of the wire member 34 is bent upwardly slightlyaway from the plane of `the bottom member and extends over the axle 20 land beyond the A-rear of the back section 11A toform alever arm xed to the rear edge of thebottom section and extending rearwardly of the back section to pivot the bottom sectionon the axle as best `can be seen in Figs. 4 to\6. j f l A cart handle 3.7,-made of heavier gage wirelthan-thatl in the. sections, is slidably securedV to the back section 11.-.

The handle abuts the rear, face of ,the back-.section andis slidably held to it by retainer cross wires 3,8 welded ,tol the back sectionV 11 andrhaving rearwardlyv extendingY loop portions 39-through which the handle'can slide.l

Cart handle 37 preferablyis IUS-shaped, with-fthe upperv ends bent o ver and secureduto a..handle.3grip-37.. The.

lower closed end of the handleis;algnedWth-andsei curedV tothe lever arm 36 of wire memberl 34:.of the?l l bottom section 17. bya vwire clamp. 'The-wire-vclamp 40 passes over Ithelower'fend of the ,handle and under. the leverarm 36. Preferably the lower end of the handlef is spaced from the 'lever arm to permit lost motion: in

the handle for. striking the lever arm andrnakingy easier. rotation of the lever arm. I

A foldable foot rest 41l Vis provided :at the rear offthe cart. Foot restll preferablyV is a -U-shaped heavy ,Wirehaving its lower `closed end bentfatA right'y angles` toffit's,

upper end. The free .upper ends of the foot rest wire are bent around the axle to hinge the foot rest to the axle and make it foldable against the back section. An S Y hook 42, chained to the back section 11 by a short chain 43 provides means to'hold the foot rest against the back section when it is not in use and to permit thef cart to be freely wheeled.

Toopen cart 10, a shopper needronly step on the foot rest 41 and pull up on the handle. This will pivot the bottom member into place, the bottom member opening the side `and front` sections in doing so, gravity t facilitating the operation. The foot rest 41 will provide an additional support when the cart is restingV on its wheels-and the front rest 31.'.It will swing rearwardly enoughfto permit the cart to be wheeled about-a store 'or shop `and can be chained up for longer journeys if desired: l Y

To collapsetthe cart, the shopper only has to push directly down on the handle when the cart is empty. Articles in the cart'prevent any inadvertent collapse when the cart is not empty. The Vlost motion in the handle and the front end -of member 34 on the bottom section extending beyond the lengthwise wires 29 of front center section 16 permits thebottom section to be raised to the extent shown `in -Fig.4 Aand in'dotted line in Fig. 5 beforelthe side sections and Afront subsections are folded, This permitsthe bottom section to get into motion before it begins its collapsingtask.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosedtand the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsible shopping cart comprising a back section, `an axle fixed to the back section at its lower end, wheels rotatably held on the ends of `the axle, side sections hingedat their rear edges to the side edges of the back section, front sub-sections hinged at their rear edges to the side sections, a front center section hinged to the back section, front sub-sections hinged at their` rear forward side edges of the sub-sections, and a bottom section hingedat its rear end to the axle, said bottom'section having its front end slidably secured to the front center section, a lever arm fixed to the rear end of the bottom section and extending rearwardly of the back section to pivot the bottom section on the axle, a `U- shaped cart handle slidably secured to the backsection, said handle having the cross piece of its lower end alignedV with and operativelyconnected to the lever arm for raising and lowering the'bottom section and collapsing and opening the shoppingcart, said lower end ofthe handle being secured to the lever arm by a removable looped wire clamp passing over the lower handle end and -under the lever arm, said clamp'loosely connecting the handle end and leverf arm to permit lost motionin the handle for strikingthe lever arm and to permit rotation of the lever arm on the handle end.

2. A collapsibleV shoppingcart comprising a back section, an axle fixed to the back section at its lower end wheels rotatablyfheld on the ends ofthe axle, side sections hinged at their rear edges to the side edges of the back section, front Vsub-sections hinged at their rearv edges `to'the side sections, a front center section hinged to the forward sideedges of the sub-sections, and a bottorn sectionthinged at itsrear end to the axle, said bottom'secton havingits front end slidably secured to the front center section, alever arm tixed to the rear end of the bottom section and extending rearwardly of the back sectionto pivot the bottom section on the axle, a U-shaped cart handle slidablysecured to the back section, said rhandlehaving the cross piece of its lower end aligned with and `operatively connected to the lever arm for raising and lowering the bottom section and collapsing and opening the shoppingcart, said lower end of the handle being secured to the lever arm by a removable looped wire clamp passing over the lower handle end and under the lever arm, said clamp loosely connecting the handle end and lever arm to permit lost motion in the handle for striking the lever arm` and to permit rotation of the lever arm on the handle end, a U-shaped foot rest hinged'to and dependent from the axle and foldable up against the back section, and means to hold the foot hrest against the back section when it is not in 3. A collapsible shopping cart comprising a back sec tion, an axle lixed to the back section at its lower end, wheels rotatably held on the ends of the axle, side sections hinged at their rear edges to the side edges of the baclisection, front sub-sections hinged at their rear edges to the side sections, a front center section hinged to the forward side edges of the sub-sectionsand a bottom section hinged at its rear end tothe axle, said bottom section having its front end slidably secured to the front t center section, a leverl arm fixed to the rear end of the bottom section and extending rearwardly of the back section to pivot the bottom section on the axle, a U-shaped cart handle slidably secured to the back section,said` handle having the cross piece of its lower end aligned A with and operatively connected to the lever arm for raising and lowering the bottom section and collapsing and opening the shopping cart, a front rest member dependent fromtthe lower edgeof the front center section and a U- shaped rear foot rest hinged to and dependent from the axle.

4.1A collapsible shopping cart comprising a back section, an axle lixed to the back section at its lower end, wheels rotatably held on the ends of the axle, side sections hinged at their rear edges to the side edges of the back section, front sub-sections hinged at their rear edges to the side sections; a front center section hinged to the forward side edges of the sub-sections, and a bottom section hinged at its rear end to the axle, said bottom sectionhaving its front end slidably secured to the` front `center section; a-lever arm fixed to the rear end of the bottom section and extending rearwardly of the back section tof pivot the bottom section on the axle, a U-shaped cart handleslidably secured to the back section, said handle4 having the cross piece-0f its lowercnd aligned with and operatively connected to the lever arm References Cited the tile of` this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Allen i Aug. 20, 1946A 2,475,797 Martin July 12,1949 2,589,044 Brodeck Mar. 1l, 1952 2,629,609 Wilson Feb. 24, 1953 2,711,327 Stoll .lune 21, 1955 

